Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

It’s fall here in Wisconsin, which means that the leaves are starting to turn. It’s easily my favorite time of the year. I love all the colors. Here’s a photo I took a little while back from one of my favorite spots in Door County:

Fall Colors

That picture really doesn’t do it justice – it’s absolutely beautiful.

It’s also a clear indication that we are going from one season to another. We’re leaving one thing, and entering a new one.

In other words, the weather here in Wisconsin is morphing.

My pastor used that the word the other day in a sermon, and it really got me thinking. There’s an obvious connection to the word metamorphosis, which means “changing state.” And then I started thinking about Romans 12:2, which says:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (ESV)

The word transformed that is used here is the Greek word metamorphoo – again, meaning “changing state”.

Which means, that the renewal of our mind is how we change our state. Let’s say it another way:

Change your mind, change your life.

The problem is that the unrenewed mind tends to gravitate towards everything that is wrong or broken. It’s really good at focusing on the negative. When it finds something to be upset about, it triggers negative emotions. Those emotions can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious, which it turn makes it really hard to take action on the things that are meaningful to you. And because things are so hard, you end up saying things like:

“It’s just not fair.”

“I wish I could…”

“Someday when things settle down I’ll…”

It’s easy to get stuck in this cycle of suck:

But you don’t have to stay here. Remember, change your mind, change your life.

The moment you take control of your thoughts (renew your mind), you can reverse this cycle:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

“God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Once you start saying your positive thoughts, you start to believe them. Instead of looking for reasons you can’t, you start to believe that you can.

Once you believe you can, you start to do the things you didn’t think you could do. And once you start doing things your unrenewed mind didn’t think you could, it produces the confidence to keep going.

Your life is constantly changing from one season to the next – are you willing to transform to make the most of your tomorrows?

Until next time – keep going and keep growing!

— Mike